‘Outstanding’ career advice and support at Leeds Sixth Form College

Danielle Miller is now, with three A levels just completed, looking forward to pursuing a career in marketing.

Back in 2020, however, things looked a lot less clear. Danielle was unsure about what to do after finishing Year 11 at school, so she approached Leeds Sixth Form College for advice.

She credits the ‘outstanding’ guidance she received, along with some exceptional support from her tutors over the following two years, for helping her re-focus.

She said: “I was very unsure of what to do or where to go, but the college was very understanding and the process was simple.

“I think that my experience here has been very flexible. If I wanted to be more independent the opportunity for that was there, but so was the continued support If I wanted to be more involved.

“Undoubtedly, spending much of the first year inside, due to Covid-19, was really hard for all of us. The support I received from my subject teachers and tutors, however, was outstanding. They never hesitated to give me a hand with anything I was studying, along with general advice regarding my career or self-improvement.

“In our second year it was difficult to get back into a college-based routine, but the teachers were very persistent and gave us the motivation to just get on with it.”

Shining a light on alternative paths

Danielle also credits the college staff for helping her realise there were other options to follow, apart from the expected university route, to pursue her chosen career.

She said: “I really struggled with coming to terms with the idea that university was not for me.

“But the career advice from the college helped to change my attitude towards getting an apprenticeship, and consider it as an alternative option.

“The consistent job and opportunity notifications from my tutors also really helped me to get an idea of this alternative; it was a huge support.”

Danielle, who is currently waiting for her results, is aiming to begin her marketing career through a higher apprenticeship.